5 Critical Tips After Your Hair Transplant

Surgery is only half the job. The first 14 days after a hair transplant decide how many of your grafts actually survive — and what your hairline will look like a year from now. Treat this period seriously.

1. Sleep elevated at 30–45° for the first 5 nights

Lying flat causes fluid to pool in the forehead → swelling on day 2–4. Use two firm pillows or a recliner so your head stays above your heart. Sleep on your back, not your side. Many patients also wear a soft sweatband above the eyebrows for the first 2 nights to direct any swelling downward and away from the grafts.

2. Do not touch, scratch, or rub the recipient area for 14 days

For the first 10 days, grafts are physically held in place by fragile new blood-vessel connections. Touching, scratching, or even rubbing can dislodge a graft permanently. If your scalp itches (it will, around day 5–7):

• Use the prescribed antihistamine.
• Spray with saline mist to soothe.
• Never scratch — gently tap the area through a clean tissue if you must.

3. Saline spray every 2 hours for the first 72 hours

Your clinic will give you a saline (normal saline / Ringer's) spray. Mist the grafts every 2 hours during waking hours for the first 3 days. This keeps grafts hydrated, reduces crust formation, and improves survival. Don't touch — just spray and let it air-dry.

4. Follow the washing schedule exactly

Most clinics start washing on day 3:

• Apply a thin layer of baby oil / mineral oil on the grafts 30 min before wash to soften crusts.
• Use a baby shampoo or the clinic-provided shampoo (no SLS, no fragrance).
• Pat shampoo on — never rub. Let lukewarm water gently rinse it off.
• Air-dry only. No towel rubbing for 14 days.

Crusts and scabs should be completely gone by day 10–14. If a scab is still stuck after day 14, gentle warm-water soaking will release it.

5. Avoid the "danger list" for at least 2 weeks

• Gym, running, heavy lifting — no sweating for 14 days.
• Sex, alcohol — both raise blood pressure and bleeding risk; wait 7+ days.
• Direct sun exposure — wear a loose surgeon-provided cap when outside for the first 4 weeks; UV damages new grafts.
• Swimming pools / sea — chlorine and salt are graft-killers; wait 4 weeks.
• Hair colour / styling products — wait 4 weeks minimum.
• Smoking — ideally avoid for 1 month post-op.

What's normal — and what isn't

Normal: swelling on the forehead day 2–4, mild numbness on the scalp for weeks, tiny scabs around each graft, redness at the donor and recipient zones for 7–14 days, and shock loss around weeks 2–6 (more on that in the shedding-phase guide).

Call the clinic immediately if: you have pus or thick yellow discharge, fever over 38°C, severe one-sided swelling, or a sudden patch of grafts looks white/dead at any point in the first week.

Follow these five things religiously and you'll be in the top 10% of patients on graft survival.